Archive for February, 2006

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Larkin’s “Breadfruit”

Wednesday, February 1st, 2006
There are nearly fifty pages of Larkin’s unpublished poems in his Collected Poems, including his much cited “Aubade,” which may be my favorite poem from this section. However, considering the number of excellent articles on this poem, in particular this one at New Criterion, I decided to mention one I liked nearly as much and [...]

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You’d Be a Idiot Not to Listen

Thursday, February 2nd, 2006
When I finally discovered many years ago that the source of my violent sinus headaches was book mold, I felt it was my body confirming that I shouldn’t become a scholar. I could no longer go into the University of Washington Library stacks without taking a Benadryl or two first, which, of course, made it [...]

Posted in Shaw's Wisdom of the Idiots | 6 Comments »

Just Full of Facts

Friday, February 3rd, 2006
I like many of the tales in Shah’s Wisdom of the Idiots, but this one comes a little too close for comfort — which might explain why it’s a favorite. All you have to do is glance at the column on the left and see the works I’ve read in just the last four years, [...]

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The Sound of Truth

Saturday, February 4th, 2006
One of the major themes in Shaw’s Wisdom of the Idiots is the conflict between the wisdom of the Sufis and the knowledge of scholars. Indeed, one of the major appeals of this work is the distinction between wisdom and knowledge: AJMAL HUSSEIN AND THE SCHOLARS Sufi Ajmal Hussein was constantly being criticised by scholars, [...]

Posted in Shaw's Wisdom of the Idiots | 4 Comments »

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